Burbank post office under review for cutbacks

By ABBY ARMBRUSTER Staff Writer Published: November 16, 2012 4:00 AM

BURBANK -- The village post office is looking for ways to save money, according to Councilman Gary Gallion, who is the landlord of the post office property at 55 S. Front St.

"The post office is looking at hours reduction," Gallion said during Burbank's council meeting Tuesday. "There is going to be a general mailing to the entire population serviced by the Burbank Post Office. It's going to be a survey to find out what the people want."

Gallion said the surveys, going out to about 600 residents, will ask for input on whether to reduce hours or close the location.

Currently, the Post Office is open for about eight hours each day Monday-Friday, and Gallion said reducing the operational hours to four hours per day was an option. The surveys would give residents the option of choosing when that four-hour block of time would be most convenient for P.O. box owners.

United States Postal Service Regional Spokesman David Van Allen said he believes P.O. box hours would remain unchanged, and the retail side of the office would be the only thing affected.

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Van Allen said another option residents could choose would be to add a Village Post Office, meaning similar postal services would be run through a community business.

Some locations across the nation have chosen to keep their post offices with restricted hours, and also add a village post office, according to Van Allen.

"They're in the process of putting together a community meeting where the post office will address the public," Gallion said.

The questionnaires will not be sent out until an official date and location is set, according to Van Allen. He also said the community meeting would have to take place at least 30 days after the letters are sent.

Gallion said one proposal is all rural routes would have mail transferred through the Lodi branch, and keep the Burbank location open for P.O. boxes and retail services such as stamps or packaging.

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Van Allen said it would take at least 30-40 days after the community meeting to determine what is best for the village.

Solicitor Allan Michelson said Chippewa went through a similar situation and council urged residents to turn in as many surveys as possible.

"If you don't, they will assume that it can be closed," Michelson said. "So, they did a tremendous effort to get lots of people to answer those questionnaires and lots of people to go to that meeting and say they want the post office open, and they can live with reduced hours. You need to rally as many people as possible."

Assistant Fiscal Officer Gary Harris said there is no evidence to prove the Burbank location will be closed, but if it is he wants to have a plan moving the village's P.O. box since it is at the Burbank Post Office.

He suggested moving the village's P.O. box to Lodi in preparation for any change, which would cost about $30 more per year for the same size box as used at the Burbank office.

USPS announced the questionnaire strategy in May with the hopes of keeping the nation's smallest post offices open, Van Allen said.

Van Allen said about 13,000 post offices around the nation are facing similar fate, with hopes of saving $500 million through restricting hours and closing branches.

Gallion said a community meeting should be held in December to discuss the options.

Contact Abby Armbruster at 330-287-1632 or email her at aarmbruster@the-daily-record.com. Follow her on Twitter @abbyarmbruster.